Hackers with links to Iran targeted a US presidential campaign: Microsoft

A hacking group that appears to be linked to the Iranian government has carried out a campaign against a US presidential campaign, Microsoft Corp said on Friday.

Microsoft saw "significant" cyber activity by the group that also targeted current and former US government officials, journalists covering global politics and prominent Iranians living outside Iran, the company said in a blog post.

In a 30-day period between August and September, the group, called "Phosphorous" by the company, made more than 2,700 attempts to identify consumer email accounts belonging to specific customers and then attacked 241 of those accounts. 

Hacking to interfere in elections has